COACHING STAFF

Laura Wayland | Assistant Coach

Laura Wayland returned home to join the Colorado State soccer staff in May of 2024. She came back to Fort Collins after spending the previous four seasons at Northern Michigan University.

Northern Michigan saw unprecedented success during Wayland’s time on staff earning two DII NCAA Tournament appearances, winning the 2023 GLIAC regular season and tournament championship and advancing to the GLIAC finals in three of the four years. While focusing on the backline at NMU, Wayland coached the 2023 GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-American Maria Storm.

Overall, Wayland coached four All-Americans while in Marquette and 10 United Soccer Coaches Midwest Region team members.

She was also the head varsity soccer coach for Marquette Senior High School during her time in Marquette.

A Fort Collins native, she played club ball for local team Arsenal before playing collegiately for Metro State for a season before transferring to Northern Colorado. She helped Metro State advance to the DII NCAA Final Four in her lone season. She was a team captain at UNC her senior year, helping anchor a backline that helped the Bears earn the Big Sky regular season title.

Wayland earned her bachelor’s degree from UNC in elementary education and master’s in reading education from Northern Michigan.

Before coaching at NMU, she taught third and fourth grade for ten years. Wayland currently holds her D license.

Micah Varner | Assistant Coach

Micah Varner joined the Colorado State soccer staff in June of 2024. He coaches the Rams' goalkeepers.

Varner brings experience from multiple levels, including NCAA Division I, II, NAIA and NJCAA with him.

Varner's most recent stop came at Pellissippi State where he was the men's soccer associate head coach for their inaugural season. The Panthers went 11-3-2 and were nationally ranked for goals, assists, shutouts and goals allowed.

Prior to coaching at Pellissippi, Varner was an assistant coach at both Delaware State (2019-20) and Georgia Southern (2017-19) women's teams. He served as the recruiting coordinator for Delaware State as well.

He played collegiately at Carson-Newman as a goalkeeper. He helped the Eagles to a national runner-up finish in 2013.